Ocean Bay, Massachusetts-Rhode Island Chapter of the Studebaker Drivers Club

It was a beautiful warm September day as I drove west to Palmer Massachusetts for Ocean Bay’s September Meeting at the Steaming Tender Restaurant followed by a visit to the Pease Collection of Historical Instruments. I was not sure how this meet would go since I did not know how many Ocean Bays members were interested in musical instruments. That goes to show you how much I know! As I drove into the Steaming Tender’s parking lot I did notice a couple of Studes. I got out of my Hawk to see who was around and look at the great vintage 1915 Porter Steam Locomotive & Tender that dominated the parking lot. The first members that I ran into were Chet and Ann Webster, Bill Cathcart and Pete Fryer - my first thoughts were this is a long distance for these members to travel, maybe it is going to be a good meet! As I stood there talking I was amazed at the number of Studebakers that started pulling into the parking lot. Before long even Dave Thibeault showed up!

The “Steaming Tender” restaurant is situated in a 19th century Romanesque style train station. Owners Blake & Robin Lamothe have been undergoing the restoration project since 1987. The Palmer Railroad Station was the 3rd largest station in Massachusetts and was designed by the world-renowned architect, Henry Hobson Richardson, whose untimely death at the age of 47 cut short a brilliant career. His major works included the designs for Trinity Church, Boston; Harvard’s Sever Hall and the Harvard Law School; The New York State Capitol in Albany, Albany City Hall, Hampden County Court House, Springfield and the Marshall Field Building in Chicago. Being a train lover, the authentic, old-world ambiance of this historic Palmer Railroad Station captured my imagination as I dined under the station’s extensive canopies of the lavish dining room with its exquisite woodwork and views of passing trains. The architecture of this train station is truly magnificent!

Leaving the Steaming Tender Restaurant we traveled up to the center of town to the Pease Collection of Historical Instruments. Nelson and Beverly Pease have a large collection of antique reed organs packed into a large storefront on Main Street along with other pre-electric keyboard instruments. Here our members toured through the collection of these beautiful old instruments and enjoyed the history of the instruments as told by Beverly Pease.

From the Pease Collection of Historical Instruments on Main Street we traveled to the Pease private museum on Foundry Street. This rustic museum is in a former sawmill and has a 50 seat concert hall where our Ocean Bay members enjoyed an afternoon concert performed by Nelson and Beverly Pease. The museum is packed with self playing curiosities, player pianos and tabletop roller organ, a harpsichord and a 671 pipe Estey roller organ with a collection of 1,000 rolls. We all had a great day and enjoyed the hospitality of Nelson and Beverly Pease.